Kansas City Gets Back On Track with Help From Over 350 Valmont Poles
While the first horse-powered streetcars could be spotted on the streets of Kansas City, MO as early as the 1870s, by 1958 the city had shut down all of its routes and switched over to standard buses. As the city grew and required other means of transportation, a plan for a new free-to-ride streetcar emerged, and KC partnered with Valmont to turn the concept into a reality.
The city needed five different types of overhead contact system (OCS) poles, traffic signal poles as well as customized decorative fluted trolley and lighting poles. Valmont’s engineers worked closely with the project engineer and helped optimize the size and specifications of each pole type based on the customer needs. All of the poles were galvanized for better resistance against corrosion, and some poles were painted either black or green depending on the color scheme of the area where they would be installed. Since the total number of poles had grown to nearly 400 at this point, Valmont coordinated with the contractor and created a shipping schedule. By loading the poles in reverse order and shipping them in intervals, Valmont helped the installation crew save time and cost.
Timeliness, expertise, consistent quality, and the ability to service projects of all sizes – were the main reasons why Valmont was chosen for this project. Despite the large scale and complex logistics of the project, Valmont delivered all of its products on time. After two years of construction, the KC Streetcar was opened to the public in May 2016. The route spans across two miles through heart of the city and features over 330 OCS poles, 32 traffic signal poles, and several decorative custom street lighting poles. We are proud to have been trusted with this job and we look forward to seeing the route expand.
Key Features:
Do you need help with your pole project?
Contact a Valmont Representative
Discover more project photography and stories